Social Researcher
35AI EXPOSURE TODAY35
20-YEAR SCENARIO
NOT A FORECAST80%
NOT A FORECAST80%
THE DOOR · ENTRY DIFFICULTY TODAYB
STARTING PAY£22,000 - £30,000
NO MOATNo physical, legal or personal barrier protects this work from software.
Skip to main content
CAREERMASH (EN)FROM SOCIAL SCIENCES →
Social Researcher
Social researchers study how people live and what they need, then use what they learn to help make life better. Their work shapes things like schools, health services and support for families across the UK.
THE DOOR: ENTRY DIFFICULTY TODAY, graded A (easy) to E (extremely hard). A Careermash rule-of-thumb index built from our AI exposure index and the job's moat class. It is not a forecast and not a count of job openings.
AI EXPOSURE TODAY is a Careermash index from 0 to 100 of how exposed this job's everyday tasks are to AI today. We estimate it by matching published research on how people use AI to this job, usually by keyword or subject area, and we lower it where the work is protected (for example by physical, personal or legal requirements). It is not a direct measurement of how much people in this job use AI.
AI helps here, but has not taken over
AI exposure for this job is below 50 on our index, and the day-to-day work still leans on a person to decide, check and take responsibility. Nothing formally protects this job though, so the safest move is to keep building the judgement AI cannot yet copy.
Organisations in this field
Organisations known to employ people in this area of work. This is not a list of current vacancies.
Office for National Statistics (ONS)The ONS is the UK's largest independent producer of official statistics, providing invaluable insights into the economy and society.
Ipsos MORIA leading research agency, Ipsos MORI conducts high-quality social research that informs public policy and business decisions.
NatCen Social ResearchNatCen is the UK's largest independent social research agency, dedicated to improving lives through research.
The Social Research Association (SRA)The SRA supports social researchers and promotes high standards in social research practice across the UK.The Market Research Society (MRS)MRS is the UK's leading professional body for research, providing resources and support for social researchers.